Series · fantasy

Heir Duology

The Heir Duology series by Sabaa Tahir has 2 known books (2 published). It is best read in publication order, starting with Heir (2024). Empire is the latest book with a fully recorded publication date.

Books
2 known books (2 novels)
Published
2
First published
2024
Status
ongoing
Shelved under
Start here: Heir (2024) — then read straight through in publication order.

Reading order

The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
  1. Book 1:

    Heir

    Novel
    Heir is the novel that opens Heir Duology, Sabaa Tahir's series, first published in 2024. It's followed in the reading order by Empire, the only other book in the series. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Heir
  2. Book 2:

    Empire

    Novel
    Empire is the 2nd entry in Heir Duology, by Sabaa Tahir, due 2026-09-22. In the reading order it follows Heir. Concludes the duology. Not yet released as of this curation pass (August 2026); page count and cover not yet available. Alternative text for cover: Cover of Empire

Key facts about the Heir Duology series

The Heir Duology series has 2 books on our list. Since all 2 are out now, you can read the whole list today.

Start with Heir, since it opens the publication order in 2024. Empire is book 2, from 2026.

Each title links to its own page, while the list keeps them in date order. Each book page shows its dates and editions.

Empire is the latest book with a full release date, out on 22 September 2026. The catalogue marks it as ongoing, yet no next book has a date so far.

The books came out between 2024 and 2026, while their length runs from 512 to 528 pages. That is a run of 2 years.

Sabaa Tahir has 7 books on our list. Additionally, they write An Ember in the Ashes. We shelve the books under fantasy.


About the Heir Duology series

Heir returns Sabaa Tahir to the world of An Ember in the Ashes roughly twenty years after that quartet's ending, with an entirely new cast confronting the Empire's ruins. Aiz is a lowborn orphan and thief driven by vengeance against the empire that destroyed her family; Sirsha is an exiled tracker taking on the kind of job that could get her killed; and Quil is the crown prince, a reluctant heir who wants no part of the throne he's about to inherit. A mysterious, escalating string of massacres pulls the three of them together across a fractured, still-scarred continent, forcing alliances none of them wants and romance none of them planned for.

Tahir builds Heir as accessible to readers new to this world -- prior knowledge of An Ember in the Ashes isn't required, though longtime fans will spot Easter eggs and see the political and magical fallout of the original quartet's ending playing out a generation later. The duology trades Ember's dual-narrator structure for a wider three-person rotating point of view and leans further into romantasy pacing, while keeping Tahir's signature unflinching violence and morally compromised characters.

Frequently asked questions

How many books are in Sabaa Tahir's Heir Duology?

Two: Heir (2024) and Empire (2026), which concludes the story.

Do I need to read An Ember in the Ashes before Heir?

No. Heir is set about twenty years after An Ember in the Ashes with a new cast and is written to stand on its own, though it includes Easter eggs for readers of the earlier quartet.

Who are the main characters in Heir?

Three rotating narrators: Aiz, a vengeful orphan; Sirsha, an exiled tracker; and Quil, the Empire's reluctant crown prince.

When does Empire, the second Heir Duology book, come out?

Empire is scheduled for September 22, 2026, concluding the duology.

Is Heir connected to An Ember in the Ashes?

Yes -- it's set in the same world roughly two decades after the quartet's ending, though it follows entirely new protagonists rather than continuing Laia and Elias's story directly.


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